Here’s some Polish Potato Pie Babka, fresh from the oven in the Times Leader Test Kitchen.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
Flour, an onion, an egg and several potatoes go into Potato Pie Babka. The recipe came from Bonnie’s Family Favorites Cookbook, a collection of the recipes of the late Bonnie Ostrowski Wallace, compiled by her son, Bobby Wallace.
Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader
“I’m making Babka.”
“Babka, Babka, Babka!”
I enjoyed saying that earlier this month as I grated potatoes and onions to make a dish from Bonnie’s Family Favorites Cookbook, a book compiled by former Times Leader sports correspondent Bobby Wallace, who now lives in Montana.
The book is chock full of recipes from Bobby’s late mother, Bonnie Ostrowski Wallace, and many of them sound like things I’d like to try.
Maybe I was on a vegetarian kick during my last Times Leader Test Kitchen adventure, because the same day I made the Babka I also made a Vegetable Tian. My taste testers — husband Mark, mom Marion, neighbor Roger and I — enjoyed both dishes, with Roger pointing out they complemented each other very well.
When I Googled the word “Babka” I realized that for some people a Babka is more of a coffee cake dessert, for others it is a potato-based dish, and in some parts of Eastern Europe the word translates to “little grandmother,” which might be part of the reason it’s so much fun to say.
Cookbook author Bobby Wallace said his family’s Babka is good hot, cold or as a leftover. I believe him, although my little group didn’t leave any leftovers for the next day.
I did add slices of green scallion tops to my version, in addition to the larger onion I grated, to give the final product a little color.
And, as long as I was grating things, I added a little grated Parmesan to the top of the casserole to punch up the flavor.
Bobby Wallace said the Babka is good with sour cream. I agree. I also think it’s good with ketchup.
And, as Bobby pointed out, the Babka does give you a hint of the flavor of a potato pancake, without all the grease.
Polish Potato Pie (Babka)
3 to 6 potatoes, grated, enough to make about six cups
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, grated
Grate potatoes and onion into large bowl. Blend in all other ingredients. Preheat oven to 425 degreees. Use an iron 10-inch skillet or one suitable for oven use. Pour a teaspoon of oil in the skillet before pouring in batter. Bake one half hour. Serve plain or with sour cream. Good cold, leftover, or on the go.
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